'In 60 seconds the car was started and stolen'

Drivers have spoken out about the cost of car crime as figures show more than one million motor vehicle theft offences have been recorded in England and Wales in a decade.

One victim who was targeted by a masked gang described how "they tip-toed in and within 60 seconds the car was open, started and driving out".

Home Office figures show there were more than 133,000 offences recorded in 2023-24, a 12% increase compared with 2018-19.

The government said it was giving police forces extra funding this year to help tackle vehicle crime.

Francisco, a driving instructor in Kent, woke up to find his car had been stolen

Francisco Terroso, a driving instructor in Kent, said his Ford Fiesta had been stolen in January and never found.

"It got stolen overnight, I woke up and it wasn't on my driveway. I just didn't know what to do," he said.

"I ended up working 18 hours a day on my laptop trying to find a new car, reorganising lessons and tests, so pupils wouldn't be left out."

Mr Terroso told BBC South East the theft had had a financial impact on his business too.

"Actual revenue from the lessons that I didn't deliver, you are probably talking about four or five grand," he added.

Since 2013-14 more than one million motor vehicle theft offences have been recorded in England and Wales, according to figures published by the Office of National Statistics.

There were 133,708 offences of theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle and aggravated vehicle taking in 2023-24.

That is down slightly from a high of 135,045 in 2022-23, but 12 per cent higher than the 118,948 offences in 2019-20.

A recent high profile case resulted in four members of an organised crime group being jailed for a total of 12 and a half years.

The men were responsible for the theft of 53 high value vehicles across the South East of England, worth more than £3.7m.

One owner, a victim of a keyless car theft who wanted to remain anonymous, told BBC Radio Surrey: "It was late at night and I said to my wife, 'I'm sure there's someone on our drive'.

"I looked out and my car was being three-point turned towards one of the security gates. I saw three guys all with masks on pulling down the gate."

He added: "They tip-toed in and within 60 seconds, the car was open, started and driving out.

"I got a call 40 minutes later from the police, who said it was in another town a few miles away."

Temporary Det Supt Debbie Crouch said thieves could perceive stealing cars as having low risk and high reward

Temporary Det Supt Debbie Crouch, the vehicle crime lead at Surrey Police, said high value cars were also being targeted.

"There's a lot of premium brands that get stolen and we think they get exported," she said.

"They either get taken to chop shops, cut down into component parts for re-sale abroad or taken to ports and shipped abroad.

"Someone could steal a car overnight in one county for example, it will be out of the county probably on cloned plates before it has been reported to the police.

"It may well have been taken to a quiet location, put into a container ready for shipping and export abroad.

"They [the thieves] may perceive it as low risk and high reward but we will certainly keep working to try to address it."

Martin's car was recovered by police but was written off after damage caused during the theft

Martin from Sussex woke up to find his car had been stolen in the night.

"I came out of the house and it wasn't there any more," he said.

"I didn't think I would ever see it again. Two weeks later, I got a call from the Metropolitan Police, telling me they had found the car.

"There was quite a lot of damage, they [the thieves] had ripped into the engine control system in order to do the theft, the insurance company wrote it off."

Richard Almeida said his business has been installing more car security measures

Keyless car systems require a fob for the car to sense and open, rather than a key to unlock it physically.

Thieves use a technique called relay theft, where a device is used to detect and amplify a fob's signal.

This technique means thieves do not need to steal a key or break into a property.

Richard Almeida, who runs Unique Car Sound & Security in Lightwater, Surrey, said thieves would take two or three cars from one road after the area had been "scouted out".

He claimed "part of the issue is that car parts, particularly older car parts and electronics, are really hard to get from the manufacturers now".

Mike Hawes, chief executive of The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, is calling for a ban on the devices thieves use to steal keyless cars.

He said: "While manufacturers continue to enhance security systems, technological innovation alone cannot prevent all theft - especially with serious organised crime gangs behind many of these keyless thefts.

"That’s why the sector fully supports provisions to ban the sale of devices which have no legal purpose but are used by criminals to steal cars."

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We understand the serious concerns around vehicle theft, which is why we will be introducing the Crime and Policing Bill to consider further preventative measures.

"We are also providing police with additional funding this financial year to tackle the export of stolen vehicles and their parts, and continue to work closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to reduce vehicle crime nationally."